I don't own Kamen Rider Wizard and Date A Live II those belong to their creators. Also I'm doing this for fun, not profit.
Spell 8: Today's Life, the Life of Tomorrow
Beast clashes his Saber against Hydra's spear a few times before Wizard slashes between both of their weapons as he moves between them.
"Move!" Wizard told Beast as he turned to Hiroshi.
"No, you move!" Beast demands as he moves in Wizard's as the two begin to fight and argue against each other.
"Move!" Hydra said as he attacked both Wizard and Beast and they dodge the Phantom's attack.
"You move!" Beast told the Phantom.
Hiroshi soon began to wake up and saw the three way battle of the two Riders and the Phantom as he was both stunned and frightened by this. Hiroshi quickly sat up and gathered his art supplies, and quickly stood up and ran away.
As the Riders and Phantom continue to battle against each other, Beast soon notices that the Gate is running, and Wizard and Hydra notice as well before Beast lands a powerful slash on both of them sending both of them rolling on the ground.
Beast quickly turns to Hiroshi as he changes to his Falco Ring.
"In that case…" Beast said as he inserted the Ring into his Driver.
FALCO, GO: FA-FA-FA FALCO
An orange magic circle appeared in front of Beast as he jumps through it to change into his Falco Mantle as he flies in the air and towards Hiroshi as he notices Beast heading towards him as he turns to the gold Rider before he grabs onto the Gate and both Beast and Hiroshi flies up in the air.
"I'll hold on to the Gate!" Beast told Wizard as he flies away as Wizard watches him leave.
Wizard sighed in disappointment before he turned to Hydra.
"Time to restrategize!" Hydra said as he ran away and Wizard was about to chase after him but was too late as Hydra jumped into the water.
"That Mayonnaise…" Wizard said in annoyance.
(Trust in you by sweet ARMS)
(Instrumental) (As the song begins the screen lowered to a metallic tree with seed-shape devices attached to it, and the tree itself was attached to a shipe.)
(Next we see Tohka, Yoshino, and Kotori wearing their Astral Dresses gently falling and landing on the ground as they turn to the screen as it zooms to their faces.)
(Next we see three more Spirits falling and landing to the ground, as it zooms to their hair as we couldn't see their faces.)
(Next to appear is Origami and Mana wearing their Realizer suits, as it zooms to Origami's mouth and to Mana's face.)
(Next to appear is Kurumi wielding both of her guns as she is surrounded by her clones, as it zooms to her face as she is smiling and her bangs cover her eyes.)
(Next to appear is the Fraxinus crew as the screen zooms to Kyouhei and Reine's faces.)
(Next to appear is Isaac Westcott and Ellen Mathers, before it zooms to their faces but their eyes were covered as Isaac had a smile on his face.)
(Last but not least, Shido appeared as he wears his Flame Style Ring and scanned it on his Driver and transformed into Kamen Rider Wizard, as the screens zoomed out as he transformed and showed his Ring, before it zooms out further as his friends were standing beside him.)
(Fate subete wa hitsuzen? Hikare au you na deai (Deai). Tsunagaru sutourii) (In the city, Tohka was jumping off of her as her name appeared on screen before she runs forward and Yoshino and Yoshinon notice her running past as Yoshino was kneeling on the ground talking to her puppet friend as their names appeared one at a time and Yoshino soon stands up and followed Tohka.)
(Ne kono mune no kodou. Rikai dekinai nara (Up to you). Kono mama ochiteyuku dake) (Kotori was watching as she was leaning on a tree while enjoying her candy as her name appeared before she pulled her candy out and took her leave. Across the street, Origami was walking forward as her name appeared on screen. Then we see Koyomi, Rinne, and Mikie in Omokagedo talking to each other as their names appear, next we see Wajima bringing them some tea before he trips and falls as his name appears on screen.)
(Saa erande suriruna deto hajimemashou) (Kurumi was seen standing on top of a building as her name appears as she was looking up at an airship as its shadow appeared on the building. Shido was seen on street level as he was adjusting his Flame Ring before his name appeared on screen, and he soon noticed something flying in the air and saw it was the AST as they headed out to deal with a Spirit.)
(Hanasu tabi fureru tabi warau tabi mezamete. Ku kono omoi kesshite yuzurenai kara) (Next we see a flashback where Shido and Tohka were walking together as she was enjoying her kinako bread. Wizard was then seen riding his Machine Winger forward as the zooms out from his face, before it changes to Shido and his friends having breakfast together, and then they were setting up for a party with their classmates, and then to them looking at Tengu City on their favorite park. Soon following Wizard was Kotori and Yoshino with their Angels out as Kotori was flying above the Rider and Yoshino was riding on Zadkiel beside him. Then it changes to Shido and Tohka riding in a tram together as Tohka leans her head on his shoulder.)
(Hajimete konnani sunao ni soba ni itai to omou kimi ni deaetakara) (Then it changes to Wiseman along with his Phantom Generals, Medusa and Phoenix. Then as Wizard, Kotori, and Yoshino were moving forward, the Yamai twins flew above them forcing them to split up, next we see Miku riding on a road in the shape of a piano keyboard, next we see Mana flying above them. Next we see the silhouette of a new Kamen Rider and behind him was a giant lion with wings, and changes to the mysterious Phantom Sora as he was chuckling. Then Origami was seen clashing swords against Ellen.)
(Then finally we see the backside of an unknown Spirit that resembles Tohka as Wizard armed with Sandalphon stood in front of her.)
(Then we see Tohka falling towards Wizard as they grab each other's hand in a finger lock.)
(Shinjitaino Date A Live) (Tohka was smiling at Wizard and he was smiling under his helmet as he gently helped her land on her feet, and then the title appeared on screen as everything turned white behind it.)
After losing track of Beast, the Gate, and the Phantom, Shido and his friends regroup with Kotori and Reine in Omokagedo, where Shido tells them what has happened as they were seated on the chairs and couches.
"Eh?! Mayonnaise kidnapped the Gate?!" His friends shouted in shock.
"Yeah." Shido nodded. "Seems like the Phantoms put something in his head. Man. That idiot!"
"With you right there…" Kotori said as she and the others sat back down. "And he's supposed to be a college student."
"Then I was right. We can't simply trust him." Koyomi said.
"True. But you can't really fault him for this." Reine said getting everyone's attention. "Think about it, if Shin continues to fight the Phantoms and keeps on destroying them, Nitou will eventually run out of Phantoms to eat and thus lose what is keeping him alive. Self-preservation has been a common survival instinct to men."
"Either way, all we can do is wait and hope that Hiroshi will head back to his home soon." Kotori said.
"That's true." Shido mutters as he rubs the back of his head. "Well anyway, did you guys find any close friends or family of Hiroshi-san's. We can't take the risk of the Phantoms coming after them."
"About that actually…" Kotori said before she sighs. "He does have a few friends, but they currently live outside of the city, so I don't think we'll have to worry about them."
"That's good to hear. But does he have any family members?" Shido asked and Kotori shook her head.
"No, or at least he used to, but was around half a year ago." Kotori said which made the others blink in wonder.
"What do you mean?" Rinne asked and Kotori sighed as she leaned on the chair.
"Apparently his wife passed away due to poor health, and they didn't have children because of that." Kotori said which really surprised Shido and the others.
"Sadness: I see." Yuzuru said in sadness.
"It still doesn't change anything." Shido said, getting everyone's attention. "Right now, the Phantoms are after him. All we can do is make sure he's protected."
His friends nodded in agreement.
(Meanwhile)
Nitou had brought Hiroshi to his campsite as he was cooking him some fried yakisoba and put some of it inside of a metal pot to eat out of, and poured his usual mayonnaise on it.
Nitou soon picks it up and brings it to Hiroshi who was seated on a table.
"Thanks for waiting." Nitou told him as he placed the yakisoba on the table in front of him.
Hiroshi looks down at the food.
"I don't want it." Hiroshi told him.
"Huh? Do you hate mayonnaise?" Nitou asked.
"Why did you kidnap me? You've got the wrong guy if you want money." Hiroshi told him.
"Oh! No, no!" Nitou said as he turned to the rest of the yakisoba that was on the grill to check on it. "What I want is...the Phantom in you."
"Phantom?!" Hiroshi said in confusion. "What's that?"
"So tell me one thing." Nitou said as he turned back to the artist. "How can we make that Phantom come to life?"
"Huh?!" Hiroshi said as he was even more confused.
"There must be something!" Nitou said as he moved in front of Hiroshi. "Like a spell or something! Or maybe the waxing and waning of the moon?"
Hiroshi sighed and having grown tired of this, he soon picks up his things and leaves.
"Where are you going?!" Nitou asked and Hiroshi stopped as he answered.
"Home. I don't have time to deal with your delusions."
Hydra is seen walking through and in a waterway while Phoenix laughs at him as he was sitting on a metal pipe and Medusa seated on the stone edge that was beneath the pipe.
"The primordial mage is an interesting guy. Right?" Phoenix asked Hydra as he looked down at him and Hydra looked up at the Immortal Phantom.
"It's not funny! He took the Gate!" Hydra said as he kicks on some water in frustration before he looks up at Medusa. "So what did you tell him?"
"Nothing, really. Just that there are Phantoms in the Gates." Medusa told him.
"Of course!" Hydra said as he rubs his hands on his face and soon changes to his human form.
Hiroshi was seen walking to his house as Nitou was behind him as he was carrying his backpack on his shoulder, and soon entered the house together.
"I'm home." Hiroshi said as he and Nitou entered the main room.
"Pardon me!" Nitou said as he looked around and Hiroshi was looking at him as he put his stuff on a chair.
Hiroshi then walks into another room that was beside the main room, to talk to 'someone'.
"Looks like I'm caught up in some kind of trouble. A weird kid even followed me home. I'm sorry." Hiroshi explains and Nitou notices as he puts his bag down and walks into the connected room.
"Who are you talking to?!" Nitou asked.
"My wife." Hiroshi answered as he was standing in front of a portrait of a woman with long black hair and matching eyes hanging on the wall.
"Eh?!" Nitou said as he moved beside him and looked at the panting. "This is your wife?!"
"That's right." Hiroshi said as he walked to the chairs of the main room and sat down on it. "My wife had poor health."
Hiroshi then remembers the times he spent with his wife before she died. She was sitting on a futon with a blanket over her legs, and Hiroshi was painting the same portrait of her, she may have been in poor health but they were still living happily.
"Talking to her while painting was our daily routine." He said before he remembers his wife's words to him during those times.
"If…I passed away...Put that drawing here, okay?"
"Don't talk about stuff like...passing away, okay?" He told her and his wife could only smile for him as he continued to paint.
"Then your wife…?" Nitou said as he could guess what happened to her.
"That's right. After my wife died, I wasn't able to paint anymore. Right now, I have nothing." Hiroshi said as he turned to the portrait of his wife. "Talking to that painting...is my only hope in life."
Nitou could only stare at him in sympathy for the artist.
The Fraxinus soon contacted Kotori.
"Alright, got it!" Kotori said as she ended the transmission as she turned to Shido and the others. "Good news, both Hiroshi and Nitou had been found."
Shido and the others were relieved to hear that.
Hydra was swimming in another river before he sensed the Gate, Hiroshi.
"Oh! I can sense the Gate!" Hydra said as he swam forward as he wasn't going to let the Gate get away from him for a third time.
Inside of the artist's home, both Nitou and Hiroshi heard the doorbell ringing. Hiroshi was about to stand up to answer it, but Nitou stopped him.
"Wait. Wait. I'll answer it." Nitou told him as he moved to the door.
Nitou soon arrived and opened the door…and saw Shido along with his friends and Reine wearing her detective outfit outside.
"Yo." Shido greeted the primordial mage.
"Oh! Hello!" Nitou greeted back with a smile. "We have enough mages here already. Goodbye."
Nitou was about to close the door, but Shido stopped him as he held it open.
"Not so fast there!" Shido said as he and Tohka managed to pull the door open and drag Nitou outside. "Mikie, go!"
"Hai!" Mikie said as she and others rushed inside.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Nitou said as he grabbed onto one of them before Shido grabbed hold of his vest and pulled him away from his friends.
"Come with me!" Shido told him as he dragged him outside.
Hiroshi soon spotted Shido's group entering his home.
"What is it?" Hiroshi asked.
"Oikawa-san, correct?" Reine asked and Hiroshi nodded.
"Yes."
"I need to talk with you." Reine said as she showed him a false police badge, and believing it was real, he complied.
"Go ahead." Hiroshi said as he offered the couch.
"Thank you." Reine said as she and Hiroshi sat down in front of each other.
"We have come to protect you…" Reine said as she began to explain why the Phantom, Hydra was after him.
Shido had dragged Nitou to the backyard and as the two mages were standing in front of each other as Shido told him how Phantoms are born into this world.
"What?! What's that mean? So if the Phantom is born…" Nitou said as he turned to the artist/Gate. "That old guy will die?"
"That's right. When Gates fall to despair, the Phantoms will be born from their hearts. They take everything from the Gate and appear in the real world. That includes their dreams and hopes. Even their lives." Shido told him.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Nitou said as he fell on his fear while being stunned by this.
"Man. You were fooled so easily. Now that you know, stop getting in our way." Shido told him as he was about to leave.
"Wait a moment!" Nitou calls out as Shido stops walking before he asks the Ringed Mage this question. "Then what'll I do?! If I don't devour the Phantoms' mana, I might not have a tomorrow."
Shido turns to him to give Nitou these words.
"The Gates' lives are in danger right now."
"Eh?" Nitou said in confusion as Shido continued on.
"Today's life comes before tomorrow's." Shido then leaves the primordial mage and Nitou sighs as he lies down on the ground.
Shido had entered inside the house and in the main room as Reine finished explaining things to him.
"I've settled things on my end." Shido told them.
"Ours too." Reine told him.
"So, do you think he'll stay out of this?" Kotori asked.
"Hard to say." Shido said.
"Oh, his stuff." Mikie said as he notices that Nitou's backpack was still here.
Mikie was about to pick up and bring it back to Nitou.
"Oh, I'll take it to him." Rinne said.
"I'll go with you." Tohka said as she picked up the backpack.
Rinne had opened the back door as she and Tohka walked outside and to Nitou who was still lying on the ground.
Tohka then drops his backpack on his legs, and Nitou looks up at them as the two girls are looking down at him.
"What is it?" Nitou asked.
"Me and Tohka wanted to say something to you." Rinne answered and Tohka nodded in agreement.
"Huh?" Nitou said as he sat up.
"You were wrong to say that Shido has it easy." Rinne said.
"That's right! Shido risks his own life to protect the Gates." Tohka said.
"His life? For total strangers?" Nitou asked and both Rinne and Tohka nodded.
"It's because Shido saw Phantoms being born after Gates fell to despair. Only a mage can stop this tragedy. That's why...he feels that he has to fight." Rinne explained to him.
"And he also has another job besides that." Tohka said.
"Another job? What?" Nitou asked.
"Well, I can't fully explain it. But Shido has a job to save another group of people, and it's something that only he could do, regardless if he's a mage or not." Tohka told him.
Nitou rubs his hands on his hair in frustration.
"Mou!" Nitou said as he was left in deep thought and wondered what to do.
Hydra had arrived in the neighborhood around Hiroshi's house as he walked in a pathway as he arrived at the front gate.
Hydra grins before he hears voices.
"Bye."
Hydra soon spotted Nitou, Tohka, and Rinne in the backyard as the two girls walked back into the house.
Hydra clicks in annoyance to see Nitou here.
"So the mage got here first." Hydra said in annoyance.
(Later at night)
Rinne decided to make a light dinner for everyone and Tohka wanted to help her, they were both in the kitchen making some rice balls for everyone while Yoshino was sleeping on a futon as Shido covered her with a blanket and soon looked at the painting of Hiroshi's wife as the artist explains its meaning to him.
"So this painting gives you hope?" Shido said as he turned to Hiroshi.
"Yeah. Thinking that my wife is still there puts my heart at ease." Hiroshi said.
Rinne and Tohka had finished making the rice balls as they left the kitchen while carrying plates of rice balls in their hands.
"Rice balls are done!" Rinne and Tohka told them.
"Oh! Way to go, you two." Shido told them and Tohka chuckles at being praised by Shido.
As they place the plates on the table, Mikie soon notices something in the backyard.
"Oh! Shido-san! That mage is having a barbecue!" Mikie said as she pushed the curtains to show that Nitou had started a campfire to cook some food for himself.
"Huh? A barbecue? What an easy going guy." Shido said as he walked to the backdoor to watch Nitou cooking his food.
"It could be the opposite, actually." Mikie said, getting Shido's attention.
"Huh?" Shido said.
"Well...if it were me, I'd be too nervous to eat." Mikie said as she walked a few feet away from the door. "After all...he might not be alive tomorrow if he doesn't eat the Phantoms' mana. Maybe he's actually scared...so doing that takes his mind off it?"
"Yeah, I totally agree." Tohka said as she was eating her own rice balls. "If today may be my last, I want to eat as much food as I can before I die. Especially my favorite kinako!"
This left everyone in deep thought before Shido sat down, picked up one rice ball and began eating it.
Nitou was cooking skewers with meat and vegetables before he picked one of them up and poured mayonnaise on it, and the bottle had the kanji for 'Indecision'.
"What'll I do?" Nitou said in wondering as he was still conflicted on what to do about Gates and Phantoms after what Shido had told him.
He was about to eat but stopped as he remembered Medusa's words to him.
"You might be able to live today by eating the Phantoms you see...but unless new Phantoms are born...you will run out of tomorrows someday."
Nitou sighed as he leaned back on the chair he was using.
"That woman is right...But sacrificing Gates for my tomorrow leaves a bad aftertaste. But if I don't devour Phantoms...I'll die." Nitou said as he was conflicted on what to do before he remembered the words Shido gave him.
"Today's life comes before tomorrow's."
Nitou sighed as he leaned back to look at the starry night sky.
(Next day)
The moment morning had arrived, Shido and the other woke up to help gather some of Hiroshi's things. Reine and Kotori decided to go to the Fraxinus to survey the area below it.
Tohka, Yoshino, and Rinne were on the lookout for any signs of the Phantoms and Ghouls.
Shido picks up the painting of Hiroshi's wife while being gentle and careful with it.
"Be careful." Hiroshi told the Ringed Mage as he put his clothes away as Kaguya and Yuzuru were helping him.
"Sure. Leave it to us." Shido told him as he gently placed the painting on a piece of cloth that Mikie lied out for him.
"What are you doing?" Tohka asked.
"Since this painting is his hope, we thought we'd move it to Omokagedou." Mikie explained as she and Shido spread out the cloth.
"I see." Tohka said. "Oh, Mikie, can you help me out?"
"Sure. Shido-san, can I leave the rest to you?" Mikie asked.
"Yeah, it's no problem." Shido nodded and Tohka and Mikie walked to a nearby window to look out for the Phantom or Ghouls.
Shido was about to wrap the cloth around the painting before he saw an envelope secured in the edge of the backside of the frame, and Shido soon picked it up and looked at it.
After packing up Hiroshi's things and covering the painting of his wife, Shido and his friends left his house as they headed to Omokagedou as Mikie was carrying the painting in her arms.
As Shido stops by the fence he turns to Nitou's tent as the primordial mage was seated inside of it as he turns to him as well.
Shido didn't say anything as he left with his friends and the Gate, while leaving Nitou to wonder alone.
Nitou soon brings out a different Ring, it had a picture of his Beast Ring but it was purely colored gold.
Shido, his friends, and the Gate had arrived at a water fountain as they continued down their path to the antique shop, but that's when they saw Hydra in Phantom form had arrived as he walked to them as he was in the water fountain as the group stopped the moment they saw him.
"Oh no!" Mikie said in worry.
"I've been waiting for you, Gate and mage!" Hydra told them as he walked out of the fountain.
"So you were watching his house this time?!" Shido said as he stood in front of the Gate and faced Hydra.
"Thanks to you, I know what's supporting the Gate's heart." Hydra said as he set his eyes on the covered painting of Hiroshi's wife as Mikie held it tightly to protect it.
"You may know, but all I need to do is defeat you first." Shido said as he scans his Driver On Ring on his belt.
DRIVER ON, PLEASE
Shido soon puts on his Flame Style Ring.
"Henshin." Shido said as he pushed the goggles and soon scans his Ring on his Driver.
FLAME, PLEASE: HI HI HI HI HI
Shido brings forth a magic circle in front of him and runs through it to transform into Wizard and charges at the Phantom and engages battle with him as he parries Hydra's attack and lands a kick on him.
"Here's our chance!" Rinne told the others as they used this chance to run away in another direction, but soon found themselves ambushed by Ghouls as they stood in their way.
They were about to run in another direction but another group of Ghouls got in their way.
Then the Ghouls grab onto them one at a time dragging them away from Hiroshi before one Ghoul pulls the painting of Hiroshi's wife out of Mikie's hands.
"Oh no!"
Hiroshi gasps as both Wizard and Hydra were in an arm lock as they both saw that.
"So it worked?!" Hydra said as he punched at Wizard and he dodged it before he blocked another attack from the Phantom.
"You used yourself as a distraction?!" Wizard said in realization.
"You figured it out too late!" Hydra told him as he moved Wizard to the side and kicked on his chest sending him rolling on the ground.
Hydra then jumps to the painting as Wizard stops on his back, and the Ghoul who was holding it removes the cloth and holds it in front of its Phantom master as Hydra punches on it as his fist smashed through it.
Hiroshi's eyes widened in horror, before Hydra grabbed hold of it and smashed the painting on his knee to break it in half.
"This worked perfectly!" Hydra said as he throws the broken painting to the ground and stomps and grinds his foot on it.
Hiroshi was further left horrified as his precious painting was ruined and broken as purple cracks appeared in his Underworld and the artist fell on his knees as the Ghouls let go of him.
Wizard saw this as he stood on his knee and foot as he punched on the ground in frustration.
Hydra chuckles that he was successful in bringing Hiroshi into despair as he turns to the Gate.
"Good! Good! A Phantom will be born!" Hydra proclaimed as he walked to Hiroshi, but then heard someone roaring before he looked and saw it was Nitou who jumped and kicked on the Phantom forcing him to stumble away from Hiroshi.
(Cue: BEASTBITE by Rider Chips)
As Nitou landed on his feet, he saw two Ghouls beside as they were about to attack him and Nitou landed a kick on them first.
Then the Ghouls that were holding Tohka and the others let go of them as they attacked Nitou as the primordial mage dodges their attacks and lands a kick on them one at a time.
Wizard soon stands up on his feet and runs to Nitou and the Ghouls, as Nitou grabs one Ghoul on the head and smashes his knee on its face and kicks it to the ground while at the same time Wizard jumps over one Ghoul's attack and kicks it to the ground.
"Oikawa-san!" Tohka said as she and the others rushed to the artist to check on him.
"Are you okay?" Rinne asked.
Wizard and Nitou turn to each other.
"Why are you here?!" Wizard asked.
"You said today's life comes before tomorrow's, right?" Nitou said and Wizard chuckled to hear that. "So today, I'm not going to think about tomorrow. I will properly live for today."
Nitou then scans his Driver On Ring on his belt.
DRIVER ON
Nitou soon turns to Hydra and the Ghouls.
"I'll handle tomorrow when it comes." Nitou said as he put on his Beast Ring and raised it up in the air.
"Hennnnnnn~shin!" Nitou shouted as he waved his arms and assumed his pose and soon inserted his Ring into his Driver.
SET, O~PEN! L-I-O-N: LION
(Song pauses)
Nitou transforms into Beast as Hydra stands back up.
"Ghouls!" Hydra ordered and the Ghouls soon moved in front of their Phantom master as they faced the two Riders. "Get them!"
"Saa, lunchtime daa!" Beast said as he clapped his hands together and he and Wizard turned to each other.
"Eat up." Wizard told him before he and Beast charged at the Ghouls to begin battle with them.
(Song resumes)
Wizard and Beast dodges their attacks as they land a few hits on the Ghouls.
Beast slams his knee on a Ghoul's stomach and smashes his elbow on one that was going to attack him from behind and grabs hold of that Ghoul and throws it to the ground, and soon runs forward as two Ghouls chase after him.
Hiroshi begins to groan as purple cracks begin to appear around his body as it starts on his cheek and then to his eye.
"Oh no!" Mikie said before she stood up and called out to Wizard as he used his sword to slashed one Ghoul on the chest. "Shido-san!"
Wizard saw what was happening to Hiroshi and was going to rush to him to save the artist, but two Ghouls thrust their spears at him to block his path as he blocked their attacks with his sword.
"Oh no!" Wizard pushed the Ghouls' spears down and away and slashed the Ghouls to the ground and was going to run to Hiroshi again…
"I won't let you go!" Hydra said as he got in Wizard's way as he slashed him with his spear and Wizard dodged the Phantom's attacks but Wizard was forced to step away further from Hiroshi.
Beast is seen dodging a Ghoul's attack before he parries another Ghoul's attack with his forearm and attacks it with his elbow and dodge a charging Ghoul's attack and slams his knee on it, and dodges a Ghoul's attack from behind and kicks on its face.
"Here I go!" Beast said as he put on his Buffa Ring and inserted it into his Driver.
BUFFA, GO: BU-BU-BUBUBU BUFFA
As a magic circle went through Beast's arm his Buffa Mantel appeared on his arm and shoulder.
Beast then kicks one charging Ghoul behind him and parries and catches one Ghoul's spear and throws it to the ground, and smashes his Buffa shoulder on another Ghoul.
Beast then parries one Ghoul's attack and catches the spears of two Ghouls as their spears were under Beast's armpits and Beast soon throws those Ghouls over his head and to the ground behind him.
As the remaining Ghouls gather behind him, Beast turns to them as he throws the spears in his hands to the ground.
"Time to eat." Beast said as he dusted his hands and slammed his fist to the ground which created a shockwave as it reached beneath the Ghouls' feet which sent them flying off their feet as they exploded in the air, and soon their mana was devoured by Beast's Driver.
Now that the Ghouls have been taken care of, Beast turns to Hiroshi and walks to him as he takes off his Buffa Ring.
As Wizard struggles to get Hydra out of his way, the Phantoms slam the other end of his spear on his head sending Wizard rolling on the ground as more cracks started to appear around Hiroshi's body.
(End of song)
"This is bad. He won't make it!" Rinne said in worry.
"Panic: Just what can we do?" Yuzuru asked as Wizard stood on his knee and foot.
Beast then stops next to them as he looks at Hydra but soon turns his attention to the despairing Hiroshi.
"I'll save the Gate, so take care of that." Beast told Wizard.
"Eh?" Wizard said.
"This happened because I didn't let you defeat him. It's my fault." Beast said as Wizard stood on his feet.
"Is that so?" Wizard said as he charges at Hydra as the Phantom does the same as Hydra swings his spear at him and Wizard dodges it as he slashes on his chest.
Beast knelt down to Hiroshi.
"I'm sorry. I'll save you now." Beast said as he took Hiroshi's hand and put the golden Ring on his finger and inserted the Ring into his Driver.
ENGAGE, GO
Hiroshi falls to Mikie's lap as a magic circle appears above him and Beast jumps in to enter the Gate's Underworld.
Beast roars as he falls into the Underworld and soon lands on the ground of it.
Beast had found himself in the backyard of Hiroshi's house before he turned to the said house to see both the artist and his wife in it as Hiroshi was painting the same picture of her.
"So this is the inside of that guy's heart?" Beast said as this is a first for him.
That is when a large crack appeared in front of him and coming out of it was Hiroshi's Inner Phantom.
The Phantom had a centipede like body with several bat wings on the sides of it. This is the Bandersnatch Phantom.
"It's huge!" Beast said as the Bandersnatch Phantom flew around him and soon flew forward and Beast chased after it.
Wizard was clashing his sword against Hydra's spear several times before Hydra was able to knock his sword out of his hand and landed a slash on Wizard's chest sending him rolling on the ground.
Wizard quickly stood on his knee and foot as he changed to his Land Style Ring, and resets his Driver as he stood up and scans the Ring on it.
LAND, PLEASE: DODODO DODODON, DON DODODON
Wizard changes to his Land Style and soon changes to his Drill Ring and scans the Ring on his Driver.
DRILL, PLEASE
Wizard soon drills into the ground.
"Where is he?!" Hydra said as he looked around and soon saw Wizard appearing below as he slammed his head into his chest as he still spun like a drill but then Hydra slashed on Wizard's chest sending him back to the ground as he falls on his back and Hydra lands on his knees before both him and Wizard stood back up.
"Not bad...but let's see if you'll handle this!" Wizard said as he changes to his Land Dragon Ring and scans the Ring on his Driver.
LAND, DRAGON: Dan Den Don Zu Dogon, Dan Den Dogon
Wizard changes to his Land Dragon Style and soon assumes his stance.
"What the…?" Hydra said.
"Saa, showtime daa." Wizard said as he charged at the Phantom.
(Back with Beast)
Beast continues to follow the Bandersnatch Phantom as he stops as the Inner Phantom slams around the Underworld creating more cracks around it.
"I've gotta do this!" Beast said as he pulled out his Dice Saber and charged at the Phantom as it flew at him and Beast landed a slash on it but it still flew forward, forcing Beast to roll on the ground.
As Beast stood back up he soon saw the Bandersnatch Phantom flying in front of him before it flew by and smashed on him sending Beast rolling on the ground.
"This is a really big pinch!" Beast said as he stood on his knee and foot and swung his sword to his left hand. "But...a pinch is a chance!"
Beast soon changes to a new Ring, it had his symbol on the center while had four different colored corners that each contain an animal of the Mantels and other Rings he used, with Falco and Dolphi on the top and Buffa and Chameleo on the bottom.
"Come, Chimera!" Beast shouted as he inserted the Ring into his Driver.
CHIMARISE, GO
Beast brought his left shoulder forward as the lion's head armor piece lit up and a magic circle appeared in front of it and coming out of the circle was Beast Chimera as it landed on the ground and roared.
Chimera soon flies at the Bandersnatch Phantom and slashes on it a few times as the Inner Phantom flies around him, and Chimera bites onto Bandersnatch stopping it from flying.
Wizard continues to battle Hydra as he dodges and parries his attacks as he lands a few good hits on Hydra.
Then Wizard jumps in the air and lands a powerful kick on Hydra, sending the Phantom flying before he rolled on the ground.
Wizard soon changes to his Gravity Ring and resets his Driver to scan the Ring on it.
CHOINE, GRAVITY: SAIKO
Wizard summons a magic circle above Hydra as he stood back up as it went through his body and below his feet which increased the gravity around him as he began to sink into the ground.
"I'm so heavy…" Hydra said as he struggled not to fly as he used his spear as support before he sank several feet in the ground. Wizard then moves the magic circle to go above Hydra to levitate the Phantom to the air. "Oh! W-What?!"
Wizard then begins to move Hydra around before he slams the Phantom into the ground as the gravity around him becomes heavy again as he sinks into the ground.
"Ow! T-This can't be! You can control gravity?!" Hydra said in realization.
Chimera soon flies up in the air, dragging the Bandersnatch Phantom with him before the Inner Phantom manages to slip free and smashes Chimera away as it lands next to Beast as he takes a step back.
As the Bandersnatch Phantom flies away, Beast and Chimera turn at each other and growl at him.
"Alright!" Beast said as he understood and soon climbed on top of Chimera's back. "Go!"
Chimera soon flies into the air and chases after Bandersnatch as the Inner Phantom flies down behind a building. Chimera lands on top of it as both him and Beast look for Bandersnatch before the Inner Phantom smashes through the roof of the building sending Chimera rolling as it is sent into the air and as Beast holds tightly onto its back.
Chimera soon stops spinning as he and the Bandersnatch Phantom flew past each other, and Beast uses that chance to slash off a part of Bandersnatch's body off it, and Chimera flies back to that part as Beast slashes on it but the cut off piece separated into several active pieces.
Beast then has Chimera fired energy blasts at the separated as each beam appeared from all five of Chimera's animal heads as they destroyed the pieces.
Wizard soon changes to his Special Ring.
"Finale daa!" Wizard said as he resets his Driver and scans the Ring on it.
CHOINE, SPECIAL: SAIKO
As Hydra stood back up, Wizard soon assumed his stance as his Drago Claws appeared around his arms.
Wizard soon channels energy around his Claws and sends two energy slashes at Hydra, which destroys the Phantom as he falls into the hole Wizard made and soon exploded.
Beast turns his sights at the Bandersnatch Phantom as it flies at both him and Chimera.
"It's...the main dish!" Beast said as he and Chimera charges at the Inner Phantom, and a large magic circle appeared in front of Chimera and made a larger energy head of it as it roared at the Bandersnatch Phantom, and Chimera's energy head bites onto Bandersnatch destroying the Inner Phantom as it exploded in its mouth.
As the Phantom's ashes fall to the ground both Beast and Chimera lands on the ground respectively as Chimera roars in triumph before he and Beast turn at each other in a job well done.
Back in the real world, the cracks around Hiroshi's body fade away restoring his body back to normal.
Beast's magic circle appeared above him and jumping out of it was Beast himself as he landed on the ground.
"Whew! I did it somehow!" Beast said as he walks to Hiroshi as he changes back into Nitou.
Then Wizard now back as Shido stops by to Hiroshi and the others as well.
"Did you do it?" Nitou asked.
"Yeah. What about you?" Shido asked back.
"Of course I did." Nitou answered.
Then they heard Hiroshi groaning as they saw he was beginning to wake up.
"Are you okay?" Shido asked as he knelt down to the artist.
Hiroshi looks around and soon sees the broken painting of his wife as he crawls to it. He attempted to fix it but it was still ruined and was now beyond repair.
"My hope…" Hiroshi mutters as he begins to cry.
"I'm sorry." Shido said as he stood up. "But your hope isn't gone."
Shido then walks to Hiroshi and brings out the envelope he found earlier.
"It's a letter from your wife." Shido said which got Hiroshi's attention as he stopped trying to fix his precious painting. "It was hidden behind the painting."
Hiroshi turned to Shido as he offered the letter to him, and Hiroshi took it to read what was inside.
"To my darling. By the time you read this...I will probably no longer be by your side. But don't be sad. Instead of looking back on me, paint new paintings. Just fill our house with your paintings. That is my hope. -Yukiko."
Hiroshi raised his head.
"Even now...your wife is looking forward to your drawings." Shido said as he knelt down next to him. "Fulfilling her hopes...Isn't that your hope too?"
"Yeah." Hiroshi answered as he found a new way forward in his life before he turned to Shido in gratitude. "You're right."
After bringing Hiroshi back to his home and making sure he's safe, Shido, Nitou, and the others left as they walked together with Nitou walking ahead of them.
"Thanks for coming." Shido told the primordial mage.
"No big deal. I was just taking responsibility." Nitou told him.
"That so?" Shido said.
Then Yoshino had an idea.
"Ummm...I just thought of something…" Yoshino raised her hand as the others turned to her. "Why doesn't Shido-san enter Nitou-san's Underworld...and defeat the Phantom in Nitou-san?"
"Yeah! That could work! I can't believe you said that out loud. Great job, Yoshino, I'm so proud of you." Yoshinon said as she rubs Yoshino on the head as she enjoyed it.
"Eh?" Nitou said in shock as he turned to Shido.
"That's true. Losing a mage would be unfortunate, but you'll die unless you devour mana." Tohka said.
"If the Phantom is defeated, you'd return to being a normal human." Rinne said.
Seeing the logic in this, Shido brings out an Engage Ring.
"Want to try it? Give me your hand." Shido told him.
Nitou was left stunned by this.
"Okay…" Nitou said as he took off his Ring and offered his hand to Shido.
Shido grabs hold of his wrist and is about to put the Engage Ring on his finger but…
"Changed my mind!" Nitou said as he pulled his hands away from Shido's.
"Huh? Why?" Shido asked.
"I'm not into guys putting rings on me." Nitou told him.
"Huh?" Shido's friends gasped in shock.
"And my Chimera is really strong." Nitou said as he walked a few feet away from Shido and his friends. "If you get killed, that'd leave a bad aftertaste. We'll have a proper duel next time."
Nitou then took his leave, leaving Shido and the others a little confused and stunned by his declaration.
"A duel, eh?" Shido said as he threw the Ring up and caught it as he watched Nitou leaving.
"Let's see who finds and defeats the Phantoms first, my eternal rival." Nitou said as he waved them goodbye.
(Day to Story by Kaori Sadohara)
(Sore wa sore wa hatenai tabi. Kimi wo sukuu yūsha no monogatari.) (The screen showed the starry night sky above Tengu City, and then it lowered to Wizard's back as he was standing before it moved to his face as Wizard raised his head as the sun rose in front of him.)
(Aru otogi no kuni Tabidatsu wa yūsha) (Next it changes to the park where Shido and Tohka had their first date, as we see two Wizards striking a pose in Flame Style and Flame Dragon Style before we Yoshinon holding the Water Style Ring appearing on the screen as it change the background.)
(Sōgen kakenuke Mezasu wa ohime-sama) (Next we see Arubi Island and show two Wizards in Water Style and Water Dragon Style striking a pose, and next Tohka appears as she wears the Hurricane Style Ring as the background changes.)
(Makkura na dōkutsu kaze fuki-areru yama koeteku) (Next we see it was night time in Tengu City as the screen showed DEM's Japan Branch, and two Wizards in Hurricane Style and Hurricane Dragon Style standing on top of another building striking a pose, before Origami appeared wearing the Land Style Ring as the background changes to Tenguu Square and showed two Wizards in Land and Land Dragon Styles also striking a pose.)
(Tsurugi wo kazashite) (Sandalphone appears as it changes the screen, as we see Shido wounded and kneeling on the ground with the very same Angel in his hands as he had in front of him)
(Hitomi ni utsuru yūki no honō) (As Shido's powers healed his wounds, he looked up and stood on his feet.)
(Yami no te wo furi-harai kimi no te wo nigiru) (Next we see two hands appearing as they reach out and grab onto each other in a fingerlock and a brought light appears between them as it changes the screen white.)
(Ima datte yume datte tsurugi wo te ni. Kimi no koto mitsukeru yo yami wo saite. Taore tatte tsuraku tatte makenai kara. Kono te wo gyutto tsukamaete) Then it changes to a black sword floating in the starry night sky as the screen moves down, as it did the Yamai Twins appeared, then changes to Kotori in her commander outfit licking her candy, then we see Miku smiling at the screen, then change to Yoshino and Yoshinon smiling as well. Next Tohka appeared on screen but she was wearing a dark and different Astral Dress and had an expression that makes it seem like she was a different person. Next we see Kurumi's face appearing on screen as she moves away from it.)
(Kienai yūki no honō ga (Dead or Alive) (Then as Kurumi fades away, flames appear out of nowhere as it covers and changes the background.)
(Sekai terashite-iru) (It changes to Tohka and Shido standing on a beach as they watch the setting sun while holding hands.)
To be continued...The Truth Approaches
There you have it, hope you like it. Review to tell me what you think of the story.